The present invention relates to a straightening machine with upper straightening rollers and with lower straightening rollers in which the straightening rollers can be driven by coupling elements and in which the upper straightening rollers and the lower straightening rollers, each with the associated coupling elements, are arranged in an upper or a lower interchangeable cartridge that can be removed from the straightening machine.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to an interchangeable cartridge system for such a straightening machine, comprising an upper straightening roller arrangement and a lower straightening roller arrangement, wherein the interchangeable cartridge system has, for the straightening rollers of the upper and/or the lower straightening roller arrangement, a coupling element arrangement for optionally connecting to a possibly present external gear-drive arrangement for the straightening machine.
Finally, the present invention also relates to a method for operating a straightening machine, comprising an interchangeable cartridge system according to the invention.
Straightening machines of the type noted above are known and are used for straightening blanks, bands, or the like, in particular, for the metal-working industry. Here, in the sense of the present description the straightening machines could have either a separate gear-drive arrangement that could be arranged externally, so that they are actively driven straightening machines, or, alternatively, a separate gear-drive arrangement for the straightening machines could be eliminated, so that these are driven or towed by a conveying motion of the straightening material, which is also designated at present as a “passive drive.”
For retrofitting straightening machines to adapt to different materials to be straightened, that is, for exchanging straightening rollers for those with different diameters, straightening machines with interchangeable cartridges or interchangeable cartridge arrangements of the type noted above are known.
For example, the German unexamined patent application DE 10 2004 017 558 A1 describes a straightening machine with an interchangeable cartridge, wherein an additional distribution gear drive with an outlet for each straightening roller is arranged between a main gear drive for driving the straightening rollers and the straightening rollers.
Here, the distribution gear drive could be integrated into a straightening roller interchangeable cartridge, so that when straightening rollers with a changed diameter are used, the area of the straightening roller diameter that can be used and the corresponding number of straightening rollers can be increased. A disadvantage is that, in the case of the subject matter of the publication, in each case the coupling elements, in particular, in the form of articulated shafts, are exchanged together with the straightening rollers, which means increased complexity and thus leads to longer stoppage of the straightening machine, which is disadvantageous in terms of costs. Such state of the art is also disclosed in WO 2005/080016 A2.
Straightening machines with interchangeable cartridges are also known from GDR Patent 30 929, German Patent 1 250 237, as well as from U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,769,279 and 6,792,783.
Accordingly, from the state of the art it is also known to equip straightening machines with a quick-exchange possibility for exchanging straightening rollers for those of the same diameter and the same construction. Here, either the lower roller mill or the upper roller mill are pulled out to a great extent from the straightening machine without the corresponding coupling elements, e.g., articulated shafts, up to a stop, in order to be able to easily service or replace, for example, damaged straightening rollers or also dirty straightening rollers.